TACOMA, Wash. -- The Bruins completed their four game series against the Puget Sound Loggers with four straight wins—the first game on Sunday gave coach Nate Ohta his 300th win coaching collegiate softball. The first game ended in a 14-2 win for the Bruins and the second game ended in a 5-2 win for Fox.
How It Happened
The Bruins came out strong in their first game, with
Sharon Tomei launching a home run in the first at-bat. In the top of the second
Makayla Noone followed with a two-RBI double, later stealing third before Tomei stepped up again, crushing a second home run to bring Noone in. By the end of the top of the inning, the Bruins had built a commanding 5-0 lead, setting the tone for the game. Puget Sound added two runs to the board at the end of the second.
The Bruins kept their momentum going in the third inning as
Bethany Wilkes drove in a run, bringing
Kiley Harris across the plate. In the fourth,
Tinley Taylor led off with a single, then advanced to second after Tomei walked.
Nicole Campa followed with an RBI single, scoring Taylor to make it 7-2. Harris then walked, loading the bases, and Jordyn Relethfor capitalized with an RBI single, bringing Tomei home, though Harris was thrown out at second.
The Bruins continued to extend their lead in the fifth inning, starting with
Brooke Riggins having a home run and
Sydney Sandifer crossing the plate. Noone kept the momentum going with a double, followed by
Kayla Mashino, who came in as a pinch hitter and delivered an RBI single to bring Noone home. Later in the inning, Mashino stole second and advanced to third on Tomei's single before scoring on a defensive miscue. Tomei then came home on a wild pitch, adding another unearned run and making the final score 14-2.
In the second game of the day the Bruins secured their fourth straight win against the Loggers, finishing the series with a 5-2 victory. The game started slow, with neither team scoring in the first inning. However, the Bruins got on the board in the top of the second when
Emily Benavidez drew a walk and Riggins followed up with a two-run homer, giving the Bruins an early 2-0 lead. Noone then flew out to left field, and Taylor grounded out to first. Tomei managed to reach the base on a walk. In the bottom of the third, the Loggers added their only two runs to the board.
In the top of the fourth Tomei had a fly ball out to right field giving Taylor and Noone the chance to advance forward and giving Riggins a chance to run home—making the score 3-2. In the top of the sixth, Riggins drew a walk and later stole second. After Noone flew out to left field, Relethford came in to pinch hit but struck out swinging. With two outs, Tomei delivered an RBI single, bringing Riggins home to extend the Bruins' lead to 4-2. In the top of the seventh, Sandifer hit a solo home run, extending the Bruins' lead to 5-2.
Top Performers
In the first game
Sharon Tomei had three hits, three RBIs, and two home runs.
Nicole Campa had two hits and an RBI.
Brooke Riggins had two RBIs and a home run.
Makayla Noone had a home run, two hits, two RBIs, and two runs.
In the second game
Sydney Sandifer had a home run and a RBI.
Brooke Riggins had a home run, two RBIs, and three runs.
What It Means
The Bruin softball team now has an overall record of 12-8 and a NWC record of 6-2.
What Comes Next
The George Fox softball team will be competing in their next game on Saturday, April 5th. They are set to play against Pacific and the first pitch is set for 12:00pm.